Selling on Etsy ~ How to Write Titles That Sell!

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Welcome to Part 4 of my Selling On Etsy series! You may be here because you’re already a reader of my blog or maybe this is your first time here. If the former is true, you may want to skip the next few paragraphs (yawn, old news…). If the latter is true, let me introduce myself.

My name is Shannon and I have been an Etsy seller for almost 10 years. Currently we have 5 shops on Etsy, but one of those is only open off and on…we just don’t have the time to dedicate to it.
We sell mostly vintage on Etsy and some supplies. We don’t currently sell handmade…but a lot of the principles I cover in this series I *think* should be good for both.

So today we’ll discuss a little bit about writing your BEST title. You’ve got your little vintage tchotchke (I’ve just been waiting to use that word!) and you need to be able to convey to prospective buyers exactly what you have and why they want it. Fabulous pictures are the first step…but a thorough description will seal the deal.

Of course, before a buyer can get to your fabulously awesome description (discussed in a future post), the title has to pull them in and make them want to click. Titles are important not only for within Etsy’s own search but they can also help people find you from other search engines, like Google.

Obviously we want our title to be keyword strong. Pay special attention to the first few words. These are the words shoppers will see while browsing search results and they are also given more value by the search algorithms.

So basically, tell the buyer WHAT the item is in the beginning of your title.

Let’s look at an example. I’m going to use one of Hubby’s items for this. He sold this tape dispenser for about $75 not too long ago.

Looking at his title, we see a strong beginning. The brand is first, then what the item is. Anyone searching for Takahashi red fox items (there are more items in this line and people do collect them) will come across this listing quickly. Then right away we see it’s a “tape dispenser”. This is important because what the item actually is or does may not be super apparent from the main photo. It’s certainly eye-catching…but they will need the title to give them more information.

But Hubby didn’t stop there. We see more phrases like “Made in Japan” and “Desk Accessory”.

Etsy gives you 140 characters for your title. Use them. Pack them with more keywords and keyword phrases. Think like a buyer. Look at your item and think of how you would search for it. What phrases would you use? Could it be a gift for someone? Does it have an alternate use? Use these ideas to fill up your title.

PRO TIP: Still stumped? This may help. Have you noticed when you type a word into the Etsy search bar…a long list of related search words or phrases pop up? These are search phrases that actual shoppers have typed in….most often. So you know these are words and phrases that will probably get searched again. Type in a generic word that matches your item and see what phrases pop up. Some of these may work for your title.

Hard work? Maybe. It gets easier. Plus the work you put in now to brainstorm your title will pay off as you write your description and fill out your tags.

((Note: Hubby and I tend to use commas to separate thoughts and keyword phrases in our titles. Other sellers do the same, or use symbols like hyphens or back slashes. It adds readability and may make your listing stand out….on Etsy. Be careful that it doesn’t impede Google searches though. We haven’t noticed a problem with commas)

Summary:

Use your best keywords in the beginning of your title.

Use all 140 characters in your title.

Think like a buyer and include keyword phrases that shoppers would use in search

These are ideas that work for us but it’s worth noting that Hubby and I have completely different styles with title and description writing. So there’s room for adding your own personality as long as the basics (strong keywords) are covered.

Next post we’ll see how the work you did building a title that sells can be carried over to your description.
Thanks for joining me!

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